Mosquito, the "Timber Terror" Category: Air support/WW2/Allied Mosquito. The timber terror. Light, fast, deadly. Photo-recon, bomber, fighter-bomber, night-fighter, intruder, trainer, pathfinder, target marking, torpedo-bomber, U-boat killer, day ranger, mine layer, and target tug. A Short History of the DH98 Mosquito. The Wooden Wonder or "Anopheles de Havillandus". The de Havilland Aircraft Company was noted for it's light aircraft, such as the famous DH82 Tiger Moth, and some mixed construction transport planes. In 1936 they had built the DH91 Albatross airliner and mailplane entirely in wood. In 1938 de Havilland proposed to the Air Ministry that they should build a bomber or reconnaissance aircraft that would be so fast it could be unarmed. The Air Ministry was generally hostile to the plan and turned them down. In October 1938 they told de Havilland that their contribution was best served by building wings for one of the existing bomber programmes.

De Havilland was not put off and continued with their project as a private venture. The proposal was based on reducing weight by removing the gun turrets and and having a crew of two instead of six. The aircraft would be smaller and burn less fuel. With twin Merlins an unarmed bomber could carry 1,000lb (454kg) of bombs for 1,500 miles (2400km) at a speed of almost 400mph (644km/h) which was almost twice that of current British bombers. With great foresight they proposed to build the aircraft predominately of wood; another item the Air Staff did not approve of. However de Havilland had surmised that in time of war aluminium for aircraft would be a very scarce commodity and so would those who were skilled in the construction. There would be, on the other hand, many experienced carpenters, piano, cabinet, and furniture makers available whose skills could be used. Almost the entire plane was built of wood. The wings had two spars with double plywood skins on the top and single underneath. The fuselage was made with a sandwich of balsa between two ply skins built on spruce stringers.

It was made in two sections split down the length and moulded on concrete formers. After all internal fuselage wiring and controls had been installed the two halves were then glued together. The flying control surfaces were of light alloy with a metal skin on the ailerons and fabric on the tail. The hydraulic plain flaps were wood. The coolant radiators were in the wing leading edge between the engines and the fuselage. The landing gear was simple twin shock struts filled with rubber blocks. Engine mounts were welded steel tube. The total weight of castings and forgings used in the aircraft was a mere 280lbs (127kg). On the 1st March 1940 an order was given to de Havilland for 50 aircraft against Air Ministry Specification B.1/40 but was cancelled again in the aftermath of Dunkirk. After many false starts it was eventually re-instated on the 25th November 1940. The prototype Mosquito (W4050), which had been secretly built at Salisbury Hall near Hatfield, was flown for the first time on the 25th of November 1940.

The aircraft was painted bright yellow so it would not be fired on by allied anti-aircraft guns or planes. Original estimates were that, with twice the power of a Spitfire and twice the wetted area and over twice the weight, the Mosquito would still be 20mph (32km/h) faster than the Spitfire. The Air Ministry was very sceptical. When the prototype was officially tested at Boscombe Down in February 1941 they were proved wrong and it exceeded this estimate by achieving a top speed of 392mph (631km/h). It was the fastest aircraft in Bomber Command until May 1951. Not everyone was happy about the aircraft. America's General Henry Arnold, who saw the plane fly on the 20 April 1941, was very enthusiastic and could see the potential. However when he returned to the USA and passed his information to five American aircraft manufacturers for assessment they unanimously opposed the aircraft. One of them, Beech, said "It appears as though this airplane has sacrificed serviceability, structural strength, ease of construction and flying characteristics in an attempt to use construction material which is not suitable for the manufacture of efficient airplanes".

This was later disproved during weight testing for the 4,000lb (1814kg) Cookie bomb. A Mosquito, DZ594/G, with an all-up weight of 21,500lbs (9752.4kg) had already proved it could lift four times the load it was originally designed for. On one test it was mistakenly loaded with 10,000lbs (4536kg) of ballast which it also lifted with no problems. Once it had proved itself official attitudes towards the Mosquito changed and development went ahead. The wingspan was increased from 52ft 6in (16.00m) to 54ft 2in (16.51m). It was fitted with a larger tailplane, improved exhaust system, and lengthened nacelles that improved stability. Even though it had been designed as an unarmed aircraft there was still room to fit a variety of .303in (7.7mm) machineguns and 20mm and 57mm cannon in addition to the bomb load.

The de Havilland design and production staff made many contributions that were, apparently, outside their field of expertise. In October 1941, C.T. Wilkins, suggested that if the normal 500lb (227kg) British bombs were fitted with shorter or retractable fins then the Mosquito could carry four of them in the bomb bay. This was rejected with the claim that the bombs would then be unstable. Experiments soon showed that this was wrong and it was not long before all bombs were manufactured with shorter fins. Forty nine of the original short-nacelle Mosquitoes entered service during the summer of 1941 either as photo-reconnaissance (PR) aircraft or converted to B IV series 1 bombers with a bomb load of 2,000lb (907kg). The first mission was a PR trip to Bordeaux and La Pallice on 17th September 1941 by W4055 now of No 1 PRU.

The first bomber mission was flown by four aircraft (including W4072) of No 105 Sqn immediately after a '1,000 bomber raid' to Cologne on 30-31 May 1942. Many other raids followed and some were designed more for effect than destruction. On 31st January 1943 105 Sqn became the first Mosquito Unit to bomb Berlin. Hermann Goering, head of the Luftwaffe, was due to address a parade in the morning and the raid effectively disrupted it. Not content with this aircraft from 139 Sqn went over to Berlin in the afternoon and gave the parade being addressed by Dr. Goebels the same treatment. This very effectively gave the lie to Goering's boast that no enemy aircraft would fly unscathed over Berlin. It was said that the 2 man twin engined Mosquito could carry the same bomb load to Berlin as the 4 engined Flying Fortress with its crew of 11. It also did it quicker and used less fuel. Some of the most famous raids were due to the precision bombing by the Mosquito from roof top height.

Among these were raids on the Gestapo Headquarters in Oslo, the Central Registry in The Hague, Shell House in Copenhagen, and Amiens Goal. They were expected to hit a single enemy building in the middle of a city with minimum harm to the civilians. In many cases they did not achieve all they set out to do but the effect on enemy morale was devastating. The Mosquito was used as photo-recon, bomber, fighter-bomber, night-fighter, intruder, trainer, pathfinder, target marking, torpedo-bomber, U-boat killer, day ranger, mine layer, and target tug. They could be fitted with varying bomb loads, including the Wallis spinning bomb, up to the 4,000lb (1814kg) bomb or carry rocket projectiles for anti-tank and anti-transport use. The Mosquito served in all theatres of the war and flew from all types of airfields. Some were Carrier based and a Mosquito (LR359) was the first twin engined aircraft to land on a Carrier. They also flew countless missions in civilian garb throughout the war to neutral Sweden carrying despatches, returning with ball bearings and, sometimes, passengers.

As an indication of the versatility of the Mosquito it was equipped, or used, with many different loads. Some of these were experimental only and some were post-war. 50, 100, 200 gallon drop tanks. 4 x .303in (7.7mm) Browning machine guns. 4 x 20mm British Hispano cannon. 1 x 57mm Molins (or Vickers G) six pounder cannon. 1 x 3.7 in (9.4cm) 32 lb (14.51kg) anti-tank gun. 2 x .303in (7.7mm) remote rearward machine guns in the nacelles. 1 x .303in (7.7mm) remote rearward machine gun in the tail. 4 gun dorsal turret at rear of cockpit. Rocket Assisted Take Off Gear (RATOG). 6 x 250lb bombs. The RAF's WWII Wooden Wonder - the Mosquito Fighter-Bomber - YouTube The RAF's WWII Wooden Wonder - the Mosquito Fighter-Bomber Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video?

Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Jan 11, 2011 Visit The War Years The De Havilland Mosquito ("The Wooden Wonder", also known as "The Timber Terror") was a fighter-bomber aircraft that excelled in a number of roles during World War II. It was a twin-engine aircraft with the pilot and navigator sitting side by side. Unorthodox in design, the Mosquito was almost entirely built from wood. It was powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. The Mosquito was conceived as a fast day bomber that could outrun fighter defences and so dispensed with defensive armament; however, owing to its speed, agility and its exceptional durability due to its wooden design, it was also used as a fighter. The Mosquito was used in many different roles from night fighter to patherfind during the war years. During much of the war the Mosquito was one of the fastest aircraft in the skies.

Category De Havilland D.H.98 Mosquito - fighter, bomber De Havilland D.H.98 Mosquito Virtual Aircraft Museum / United Kingdom / De Havilland Most aviation enthusiasts will know the usual stories of de Havilland's "wooden wonder", the all-wood bomber which was first planned by the company in 1938. It was to carry no defensive armament, relying upon superior speed to evade enemy aircraft. However realisation of a prototype was delayed for one reason and another until the beginning of 1940. This first prototype, of quite unorthodox construction, flew for the first time on 25 November 1940. When demonstrated to official guests at Hatfield, they were astounded to see its fighter-like manoeuvrability and its amazing performance with one engine feathered. Key to this performance was the lightweight wooden construction: a plywood-balsa-plywood sandwich producing a resilient but light fuselage structure which could accept an enormous amount of punishment, and yet retain its integrity. Power plant comprised two Rolls-Royce Merlin in-line engines, driving constant-speed and fully feathering propellers. The second and third prototypes were fighter and reconnaissance variants respectively.

The Mosquito was to prove that it was more than capable of performing any task, and in the process is remembered as a truly outstanding British aircraft of World War II. There had, of course, been some official misgivings that such an unorthodox aircraft could carry out its combat task and survive in the war skies over Europe. In fact later versions capable of higher performance showed that the original de Havilland concept of an aircraft too fast to be intercepted was correct. Towards the end of the war Mosquito units were averaging one aircraft loss per 2,000 sorties - by far the lowest figure recorded by Bomber Command. Many Mosquito variants were built within the three bomber/fighter/reconnaissance categories the first into service being PR aircraft which made their initial daylight sorties over Paris on 20 September 1941. PR Mosquitoes also had the distinction of being the last in RAF front-line service, being withdrawn in December 1955. Mosquito bombers, which had entered service carrying a 907kg bomb load, were later to carry a 1800kg block-buster in a bulged bomb bay.

Mosquito fighters were to distinguish themselves in fighter-bomber, anti-shipping and night-fighter roles, and were to destroy some 600 V-1 flying-bombs in the defence of Britain. For reconnaissance duties the Mosquito was the RAF's major long-range aircraft in this category, serving in Europe, Burma and the South Pacific. Including 1,342 Mosquitoes built in Australia and Canada, total construction was 7,781 aircraft when production ended in November 1950 Specification WW2 Warbirds: the De Havilland Mosquito (Bomber, Fighter-bomber and Night-Fighter variants) - Frans Bonné The De Havilland Mosquito (Bomber, Fighter-bomber and Night-Fighter variants) Great Britain The more I read about the Mosquito, the more impressed I became and still are. It is a truly remarkable aircraft, breaking with all traditions of military doctrine in a time that such a break was received with unbelieve, disinterrest and even hostility.

De Havilland figured that while most designs of bombers were become ever more heavier, bigger and slower, the production would cost ever more too of precious light alloys, man-hours, fuels and crew members. Therefor they decided to design a bomber that was unarmed, made mostly of wood, carried a crew of 2, and would rely on speed rather than defensive measures such as guns. This combination led to an aircraft that was light and fast, and later proved that it could easily outpace pursuing aircraft. The design, which was luckily be it reluctantly approved by the Air Ministry, proved to be so successful that it became one of the most (if not the most) versatile aircraft of World War 2, and maybe even of all time. The versatility of the Mosquito forced me to break this page up in 2 pages. The one you are reading right now concerns the offensive models (bombers, fighter-bombers, and night-fighters), the next page concerns the other models (reconnaissance and training). Almost you couln't have read about it now, for the Air Ministry put great pressure on the designers to include at least some defensive guns and an extra crew member.

The design was kept in it's original form because of the support of one man: Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman. Without him and R.E. Bishop, the designer, there would be no Mosquito as is. The D.H.98 was based on the all-wood D.H. 91 Albatross, and the all-metal D.H. 95 Flamingo transports. It would use two Rolls Royce Merlin powerplants because of their low drag, high performance profile, fitting the ideas of the designers. Calculations showed that the bomber would have such high speeds and possible altitudes that interception would be near impossible. The great speed meant that although the warload was smaller than that of many other bombers, it could make more sorties in the same time and thus add up explosive tonnage. The first worked out proposal was estimated to reach speeds of up to 405 mph (652 km/h), have a range of 1,500 miles (2.414 km), and had a maximum take-off weight of 15,075 lb (6.844 kg).

As an alternative De Havilland proposed a guns/cannons armament in stead of disposable weapons to enable the aircraft to fulfill fighter-bomber and escort duties. Because of the speed and heights it could reach a successful photo-reconnaissance aircraft could be developed too. After the Air Ministry received the estimates they could not believe them, but were convinced that even lower performances would mean that the aircraft would have exceptional performance. An order for 50 aircraft in the bomber-reconnaissance role was placed in March 1940. After the low Countries and France had been conquered by Germany, the order was cancelled, because the Air Ministry placed emphasis on the aircraft that could defend the UK. Thanks to Sir Patrick Hennessy the orders were restored. On November 25 1940 the first prototype flew. It revealed that the prototype was even in it's preliminary trials 20 Mph (32 km/h) faster than the Spitfire, the fastest British fighter at that time. Versions: De Havilland Sea Mosquito TR.Mk 37 Improved version of the TR.Mk 33. It was fitted with British Air-to-surface radar.

Number built: 6 De Havilland Mosquito FB.Mk 40 Australian built Mosquito, based on the FB.Mk IV, but fitted with 2 × Packard Merlin 31's driving tapered blade propellers (first 100), or 2 × Packard Merlin 23's driving paddle-blade propellers (last 78). 1 Aircraft was converted to the prototype of the FB.Mk 40, but the new version was not continued into production stage. Number built: 179 De Havilland Mosquito F.Mk II Like said with the Fighter Bomber: the first fighter prototype was ready in March 1941, closely followed by two further prototypes, the latter heavy fighters not dislike the Boulton Paul Defiant concept and fitted with a four-gun dorsal turret. The "turret" fighters were quickly dropped, and development for a more classical type fighter (fixed guns, no turrets) continued.

The fighter differed from the bombers in respect to strengthened main spars, a side entry door in stead of a hatch, increased fuel capacity in the wings and fuselage, a flat windscreen for undistorted view, and a solid nose (possible because of the fact that the navigator need not to climb into the nose to fulfill his role as bombardier). It was then decided that the first fighter role would be nightfighter, and modifications were made with exhaust shrouds, a matte black finish, and the fitting of either the AI Mk. IV or V Airborne Interception radar. The Mk V radar differed from the Mk IV because it had an indicator screen for both crewmembers. By the time the first Nightfighters became operational the designation was still F.Mk II. The first missions were disappointing bacause the matte black finishing accounted for performance loss (26 Mph, 42 km/h slower), the flame dampers had problems, the radar didn't function always that well, and the crews were not yet experienced with their equipment. In April 1942 the Nightfighter Mosquito became operational, but it was not until the end of June 1942 that the first radar guided kill was claimed.

Number built: 589 De Havilland Mosquito F.Mk II (Special intruder) Conversion from the F.Mk II. The radar was removed in favor of additional fuel capacity, additional ammunition and the installation of 'Gee'. 'Gee' was a navigation aid to perform "Ranger" daylight missions against German targets. Antoher Special were F.Mk II's fitted with electronic countermeasures such as "Moonshine' to confuse German radar and to simulate other aircraft. Number converted: 25 De Havilland Mosquito NF.Mk XII Conversion of the F.Mk II. The use of the AI Mk. VIII enabled better range and accuracy than the older types, the reason being the fact that the old radars operated in the metric wavelength, the newer operating in the centimetric wavelength. The receiving antennae were dish shaped, and could be installed in the weaponsbay of the four 0.303 inch (7,7mm) guns, thus the latter were dropped. This left the fighter with the four 20 mm cannons, which was adequate.

Number converted: 97 De Havilland Mosquito NF.Mk XIII Based on the FB.Mk VI, the NF.Mk XIII had the airframe of the NF.Mk XII, the AI Mk. VIII radar and the 'basic' wing. It was fitted with 2 Rolls Royce Merlin 21's or 23's. It's maximum speed was 394 Mph (634 km/h) and it had a typical range of 1,260 miles (2.028 km) . Number built: 270 De Havilland Mosquito NF.Mk XV The development of this type was initiated by the need to intercept the German Junkers Ju 86P and Ju 86R. These German reconnaissance aircraft operated at an altitude of 36,060 ft (11.000 m), and were optimized for high altitudes. De Havilland was already testing with a high altitude bomber fitted with Merlin 61 engines, and a pressurized cabin.

The bomber prototype was revised with the nose of the F.Mk II, extended wingtips (increasing the span to 62 ft 6 inch, 19,05 m), and a single seat cockpit with a stick in stead of the bomber-style control wheel. Other non-essential items were deleted, among which some of the armor and some fuel tanks. The first flight took place in August 1942 with a maximum weight of only 16,200 lb (7.348 kg), 500 rounds for each of the four 0.303 inch (7,7 mm) guns, and revealed a ceiling of 45,000 feet (13.715m). The NF.Mk XV entered service in mid-September 1942, but never could prove it's worth against the Junkers Ju 86P, for the Germans withdrew it from operational service. The original was revised to accomodate a crew of 2, and had it's guns moved to a ventral tray to accomodate the AI.Mk VIII radar, and additional fuel tanks.

Four more aircraft were converted to the NF.Mk XV standard, with a span of 59 ft 2 in (18,03 m), length 44 ft 6 in (13,56 m), empty and max take-off weights of respectively 13,746 lb (6.235 kg) and 17,600 lb (9.983 kg). The maximum speed was 412 Mph (663 km/h), typical range was 1,030 miles (1.658 km), and ceiling was 43,000 ft (13.105 m). Number converted: 5 De Havilland Mosquito NF.Mk XVII Conversion from the F.Mk II, and equal to NF.Mk XII. These aircraft were fitted with the American radar called SCR-720, known by the British as AI.Mk. X, and had an empty and maximum take-off weight of 13,224 lb (5.998 kg) and 19,200 lb (8.709 kg) respectively.

The different radar meant also a slightly altered nose. Number converted: 99 De Havilland Mosquito NF.Mk XIX Identical to the NF.Mk XIII, but with 2 × Rolls Royce Merlin 25 engines, and a nosesection capable of holding both the British AI.Mk VIII as the American SCR-720/729 radar types. Number built: 280 De Havilland Mosquito NF.Mk 30 Identical to the NF.Mk XIX, but with 2 × Rolls Royce Merlin 72/76/113 engines. The maximum speed was 424 Mph (682 km/h), range was 1,180 miles (1.899 km) and the ceiling was 35,000 ft (10.670 m) Number built: 530 De Havilland Mosquito NF.Mk 36 Improved version of the NF.Mk 30, it entered operational service just after the war had ended.

It came fitted with an AI.Mk IX radar, and 2 × Rolls Royce Merlin 113/114 or 113A/114A engines Number built: 163 De Havilland Mosquito NF.Mk 38 Designed and built after the War. It was based on the NF.Mk 36 with an AI.Mk IX radar, and fitted with 2 × Rolls Royce Merlin 114A engines. 60 of the aircraft were sold to Yugoslavia, the others scrapped. They never saw service within the RAF. Number built: 101 Remarks: It was fast, and it was small: the recipe for a hard target. The Mosquito bomber saw the lowest loss rate of all Allied bombers. It astounded the brass in it's maiden flight(s) and kept the enemy very busy indeed. For the enemy to get a Mosquito down you either got lucky or you had to work real hard. Especially in the later war years the Mosquito fighter-bomber was used extensively with relative impunity to destroy a myriad of German tactical targets.

The nightly Luftwaffe raids had been crunched by the Bristol Beaufighter before the NF series became operational, yet they fulfilled a necessary role in stopping nuisance raids of intruding Focke Wulf FW 190A's. The Mosquito also saw some famout operations, like the attack on the Gestapo head quarters in The Hague. In that raid a 5 story building was leveled by 3 "waves" of 2 aircraft, using incendiaries and high explosives, and destroying all records the Gestapo had collected over the years on resistance fighters and their families, and hiding addresses of jews. Another famous attack was the break out of more than 250 prisoners in the prison of Amiens. The first bombers destroyed the guard houses, and following aircraft breached the walls to enable the men inside to break free. This remarkable feat was put in progress because the French Resistance had mentioned the planned execution of numerous resistance fighters Strengths: Video: Is the Mosquito the greatest warplane of all? - Telegraph World War Two Is the Mosquito the greatest warplane of all?

The Spitfire is more famous but, discovers Jasper Copping, the de Havilland Mosquito can claim to be the plane that won the war Comments While the Spitfire and Hurricane are remembered as the machines that saved Britain from Nazi invasion, the Lancaster and Halifax are lauded as the warhorses that took the fight to the Third Reich. But there is an argument that the country’s greatest aircraft of the Second World War was none of these, but the less heralded de Havilland Mosquito. This versatile, two-man machine, designed by the British aviator pioneer Geoffrey de Havilland, served with distinction as a fighter, bomber, U-boat hunter and night fighter, as well as in reconnaissance roles and as a pathfinder on large-scale bombing attacks. It was behind some of the most stunning raids of the war – among them the precision operation to attack the Gestapo headquarters in Oslo, Norway; and another to breach the walls of a prison in Amiens to allow the escape of condemned resistance fighters. Its greatest attribute, its speed, came from its unusual construction. To preserve metal reserves, it was made of wood, its parts crafted by carpenters and joiners in workshops turned over from furniture and cabinet-making.

The components, from spruce, birch, balsa and plywood, were then put together with glue. Related Content High Court 'pardon' bid for Boer war soldier 'Breaker' Morant But at the end of the war, this unique characteristic became its biggest weakness. While metal-framed aircraft endured, most Mosquitos simply rotted away in their hangars. For almost 20 years, there have been no airworthy Mosquitos since the last one crashed at an air show near Manchester in 1996, killing both crew members. This lack of airborne Mosquitos and the higher profile enjoyed by the Spitfire and Lancaster, in particular, has led some to overlook the contribution made by the so-called “Wooden Wonder”. But tonight, a Channel 4 documentary, The Plane that Saved Britain, seeks to correct that. And for the presenter, Arthur Williams, the show is also a more personal quest. The former Royal Marine has been fascinated with aviation – and, above all, the Mosquito – since childhood. But he took up flying only after a car crash in 2007 had left him in a wheelchair.

In the show he traces the history of the Mosquito: he speaks with a designer who overcame official doubts to create the revolutionary machine, as well as several of those who flew it. But he also travels to the US in an attempt to get aboard a newly restored one. Overcoming last-minute health-and-safety concerns linked to his disability, he is able to fly the aircraft, which has been rebuilt by Jerry Yagen, an American aviation enthusiast, following an eight-year, £2.6m restoration. Back on land, after the flight, Williams says: “It seems kind of ironic that the whole journey that started me off on my flying career was the worst day of my life, which was the car crash that put me in my wheelchair. And now, six years down the line, we’re here, and I’m experiencing, by a long way, the best day of my life. It feels like two bookends.” Williams, 27, had served in Sierra Leone before he broke his back and severed his spinal cord in the car accident near Pershore, Worcestershire, where he had been visiting family.

He trained as a Paralympian wheelchair racer and hand cyclist before switching to broadcasting and getting a job with Channel 4 during last summer’s Games. But he said it was flying that gave him a “crutch” and restored the confidence he had lost following the accident. “I had struggled with how to reassert myself as a man after the crash. It might be my old Royal Marine mentality, but becoming a pilot has helped me do that,” he said last week. “People look at you in a wheelchair and perhaps assume you are spoon-fed. When you tell them you are a pilot, their jaw drops. “Flying also gives you a freedom. Down here, I am restricted in what I can do physically, which can sometimes frustrate me. When you are flying, you are strapped in and become part of the aircraft.” The title of tonight’s show makes a bold claim on behalf of the Mosquito, but Williams has marshalled strong support for the aircraft. Eric “Winkle” Brown, a wartime test pilot, tells him: “I’m often asked, what type of aircraft saved Britain. My answer is that the Mosquito was particularly important because it wasn’t just a fighter or a bomber. It was a night fighter, a reconnaissance aircraft.

A ground-attack aircraft. It was a multi-purpose aircraft.” Sir Max Hastings, the historian, agrees: “The Mosquito helped transform the fortunes of the bomber offensive. It was obvious that this was a real gamechanger. In many ways, from the outset it became plain that the Mosquito was a much more remarkable aircraft than the Lancaster. Yes, the Lancaster is the aircraft that everybody identifies with Bomber Command, but in many ways the Mosquito, although it has received much less attention, was a much more remarkable aircraft.” He adds: “You’ve got the range, the height, the speed. It can do anything and in that sense, I think some of us would argue this is a more remarkable design achievement than the Spitfire.” The Germans had nothing equal to the Mosquito and it sapped their morale. Its fighter pilots were allowed to claim two “kills” for each one they were able to shoot down. As well as enhancing the accuracy of heavy bombers by flying ahead and dropping “markers”, one of the Mosquito’s greatest contributions was in creating a new form of aerial warfare – surgical strikes, many of them for propaganda purposes.

As well as the Oslo and Amiens attacks, one of the most celebrated was a raid on the Berlin radio station on which Hermann Göring, head of the Luftwaffe, was about to deliver a speech. The British newsreel gleefully reported afterwards that the “fat Field Marshal” had been delayed by one hour. Indeed, never mind the judgment of historians such as Hastings or the reminiscences of former pilots, the greatest tribute to the aircraft came from Göring himself, who said it made him “green and yellow with envy”. He added: “The British, who can afford aluminium better than we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano factory over there is building, and they give it a speed which they have now increased yet again. What do you make of that? There is nothing the British do not have. They have the geniuses, and we have the nincompoops.” 'The Plane that Saved Britain’ is on Channel 4 tonight at 8pm De Havilland Mosquito - World War II Bombs:4,000 lbs.

De Havilland Mosquito Design & Development: In the late 1930s, de Havilland began working on a bomber design for the Royal Air Force. Having had great success in designing high-speed civilian aircraft, such as the DH.91 Albatross, constructed largely of wood laminates, de Havilland sought to secure a contract from the Air Ministry. Already an outsider due to their use of all-wood construction, de Havilland's initial attempt to modify the Albatross faired poorly as the first aircraft, possessing three turrets and a six-man crew, performed badly. Powered by twin Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, the designers began seeking ways to improve the plane's performance. After discarding adding additional engines, the team at de Havilland began removing elements from the aircraft to decrease weight and increase speed. This approach proved successful, and the designers quickly realized that by removing the bomber's entire defensive armament its speed would be on par with the fighters of the day allowing it to outrun danger rather than fighting. The end result was an aircraft that was radically different from the Albatross.

A small bomber, it was capable of speeds around 400 mph with a payload of 1,000 lbs. Despite the new aircraft's high speed and superb performance, the Air Ministry rejected the new bomber in October 1938, over concerns regarding its wooden construction and lack of defensive armament. Unwilling to abandon the design, de Havilland continued to refine it after the outbreak of World War II . As the RAF expanded to meet wartime needs, the company was finally able to obtain a contract for fifty aircraft from Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman in March 1940. As work on the prototypes moved forward, the program was delayed as a result of the Dunkirk Evacuation . Restarting, the RAF also asked de Havilland to develop heavy fighter and reconnaissance variants of the aircraft. On November 19, 1940, the first prototype was completed and it took to the air six days later. Over the next few months, the newly dubbed Mosquito underwent flight testing at Boscombe Down and quickly impressed the RAF.

Outpacing the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.II , the Mosquito also proved capable of carrying a bomb load four times larges (4,000 lbs.) than anticipated. Upon learning this, modifications were made to improve the Mosquito's performance with heavier loads. The Mosquito's unique wood construction allowed parts to be made in furniture factories across Britain and Canada. To construct the fuselage, 3/8" sheets of Ecuadorean balsawood sandwiched between sheets of Canadian birch was formed inside large concrete molds. Each mold held half of the fuselage and once dry, the control lines and wires were installed and the two halves were glued and screwed together. To complete the process, the fuselage was covered in a doped Madapolam (woven cotton) finish. Construction of the wings followed a similar process, and a minimal amount of metal was used to reduce weight. De Havilland Mosquito Operational History: Entering service in 1941, the Mosquito's versatility was utilized immediately. The first sortie was conducted by a photo reconnaissance variant on September 20, 1941.

A year later, Mosquito bombers conducted a famed raid on the Gestapo headquarters in Oslo, Norway which demonstrated the aircraft's great range and speed. Serving as part of Bomber Command, the Mosquito quickly developed a reputation for being able to successfully carry out dangerous missions with minimal losses. On January 30, 1943, Mosquitos carried out a daring daylight raid on Berlin, making a liar of Reichmarschall Hermann Göring who claimed such an attack impossible. Also serving in the Light Night Strike Force, Mosquitos flew high speed night missions designed to distract German air defenses from British heavy bomber raids. The night fighter variant of the Mosquito entered service in mid-1942, and was armed with four 20mm cannon in its belly and four .30 cal. machine guns in the nose. Scoring its first kill on May 30, 1942, night fighter Mosquitos downed over 600 enemy aircraft during the war. Equipped with a variety of radars, Mosquito night fighters were used throughout the European Theater. In 1943, the lessons learned on the battlefield were incorporated into a fighter-bomber variant.

Featuring the Mosquito's standard fighter armament, the FB variants were capable of carrying 1,000 lbs. of bombs or rockets. Utilized across the front, Mosquito FBs became renowned for being able to carry out pinpoint attacks such as striking the Gestapo headquarters in downtown Copenhagen and breeching the wall of the Amiens prison to facilitate the escape of French resistance fighters. In addition to its combat roles, Mosquitos were also used as high-speed transports. Remaining in service after the war, the Mosquito was used by the RAF in various roles until 1956. During its ten-year production run (1940-1950), 7,781 Mosquitos were built of which 6,710 were constructed during the war. While production was centered in Britain, additional parts and aircraft were built in Canada and Australia. The Mosquito's final combat missions were flown as part of the Israeli Air Force's operations during the 1956 Suez Crisis. The Mosquito was also operated by the United States (in small numbers) during World War II and by Sweden (1948-1953).

Selected Sources LiveLeak.com - RAF Mosquito Gun Camera Footage From WW2 Browse Channels RAF Mosquito Gun Camera Footage From WW2 The Dehavilland Mosquito was one of the most outstanding British aircraft of world war 2. The wings and fuselage were made almost entirely of wood, in order to save on scarce aluminum, and the end result was a very effective multi-role aircraft. The Mossie served in the roles of light bomber, fast reconnaissance aircraft, heavy fighter, anti-shipping, and night fighter. It was so fast (400 mph at 29,000 feet) that a stripped down mosquito could outrun almost every German fighter except perhaps the ME-262. Herman Goerring, head of the German Luftwaffe captured a few shot-down examples of the Mosquito, and after examining them and realizing the virtues of wooden construction, wanted very badly to copy it. He set Kurt Tank (designer of the FW-190) on the chore and the aircraft was named the TA-154. After years of very difficult development and when the TA-154 was just about to be Loading the player ...

de Havilland Mosquito - WWII British bomber « Previous | Index | Next » de Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland Mosquito was unique among British World War II aircraft in that the aircraft was essentially built of plywood, and often was the fastest propeller driven aircraft in the war. The twin engine aircraft was originally designed as a fast bomber, but found use in an amazing number of roles. As a long range, high altitude reconnaissance plane the Mosquito was the first plane to photograph war-time Berlin, and the first to photograph the V-2 rocket. As a night fighter the Mosquito found a defensive role attacking German bombers and later V-1 Buzz bombs over England, and as an offensive night fighter over Europe attacking German night fighters. The Mosquito was used as a low level precision bomber of occupied territories to minimize collateral damage when attacking SS and Gestapo headquarters, prisons, or high value targets in urban areas. The de Havilland Mosquito was used as an interceptor of German long range anti-shipping bombers, and later were armed with a 6 pounder canon, then 60 pound rockets to punch holes into U boats while outside the range of U-boat anti-aircraft guns.

It was used by Bomber Command as a pathfinder for Allied heavy bombers marking the target with flares, disrupting German radar with chaff, and carrying out diversionary raids. Some Mosquitoes had their bombays modified to accept 4,000 pound cookie bombs, to ensure that the diversionary raids were highly damaging of themselves. The Mosquito even found a commercial use as the only aircraft suitable for mail and small, high value payloads to and from neutral Sweden. The physicist Neils Bohr was transported to England from Sweden in a commercial version of the Mosquito. A total 7,781 Mosquitoes were built; 6,710 during WWII.

Question: In WW2 which company manufactured the Mosquito fighter-bomber?
Answer: De Havilland